venerdì 20 marzo 2009

A new Economy: the Transition Movement


We receive many signals about the agony of the economic development based on oil: last but not least the collapse of its financial and merely speculative appendices which have caused the present economic recession.

The incapability to find structural and long-run remedies both to the productive and financial global networks clearly denounce how umprepared we are to replace this moribund system: often the measures adopted are likely to be medicines destined to a dying patient to whom doctors are trying to prolong life at any cost. Many initiatives adopted in Italy may be included within this perspective: a revival of nuclear energy, a foolish policy on transports and mobility, scarce attention to sustainable renewable energies, continuing pushes to stimulate irrational consumption, etc.

Many observers have stated that this recession is producing only destructive negative effects on economy and society. This is absolutely true, but it is true also that this crisis shows some positive implications: this is an important occasion for a "change", to let "new" emerge, for a renewal, for a rethinking of many political and economic strategies which have shown their failure and detrimental characters for the society and for the environment. In short this is a moment of the Schumpeter's "Creative destruction".

To manage such a transformation phase a qualified and competent political and administrative class, very sensitive to these issues, is clearly necessary: it means to have the capability to put the right questions about the emersion of this "new" in economy and society (economic democracy) on the base of a capability to recognize the signals and the potentials of such a change with an important role of research and education.

On the contrary in Italy we have to deal with a clear political incapability in recognizing the implications of "change" which actually is repressing the related signals in order to stay blocked on defending the economy of oil.

Italy is actually affected by a XVII century political class which is still thinking in terms of gears and looms based only on the "know who" rather than "know how" dynamics still looking at eductation and research as non priority costs in the State budget.

Unfortunately people are terribly lazy and these inertial politics tend to exploit this lazyness.

People and their associations have to be directly engaged in creating an awareness about these issues as a precondition to such a change.


A very important example of this committiment is provided by the Transition Movement. This is an internation network of associations, which is starting to operate also in Italy, directed to provide ideas, visions, tools, initiative to move from the "old" to the "new".

I suggest the following links to obtain more info and details.

Terranauta (in Italian)
Io e la Transizione (in Italian)
Transition Italia (in Italian)
Transition Towns
Transition USA
Transition Culture

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